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New interactive online platform to groom a low carbon culture in Hong Kong

New interactive online platform to groom a low carbon culture in Hong Kong

Date

21 January 2013

HONG KONG: This weekend we launched our year-long campaign - the Micro Carbon Operation, which aims to promote and build a low carbon community in Hong Kong through various interactive community engagement events and social media activities.

The campaign is sponsored by Hong Kong Airport Authority Environmental Fund, and supported by HKSAR Environment Bureau, Hong Kong Observatory, plus over 25 environmental and civic groups. More organizations are soon expected to support the cause.

Photo blogging contest

The highlight of Micro Carbon Operation is the Micro Carbon Photo-Blogging Contest, which is held on a social media platform. Participants may snap shot their low carbon moments in everyday life and share their low carbon insights with the public on monthly themes.

The judging panel will select a winning entry each month that best captures the “micro carbon” elements of a specific theme. The entry with the most “likes” on the online fan page will receive the “Favorite Entry of the Month” award.

All monthly awardees will automatically enter the final contest under the judging of an expert panel headed by Stanley Wong (“another mountain man”), a renowned photography and designer best known for his “red-white-blue” works.

The final three winners will receive camera kits worth HKD$10,000. The photo entries of all monthly awardees will have the chance to be displayed at the closing ceremony, and during the exhibition at Hong Kong International Airport. Results will be announced at the end of September, 2013.

Lifestyle workshops

Alongside the Photo-Blogging Contest, Micro Carbon Operation also features a series of low carbon lifestyle workshops, focusing on the four core aspects of modern living: clothing, eating, living and traveling. These will include an old clothes upcycling workshop, simple living day camp, food waste recycling tour plus green dinner, and “micro carbon” meadow music concert.

“Combating climate change requires more than international collaboration and local determination. Participation from every citizen forms a “micro carbon” force to tackle the global problem. The whole is always bigger than the sum of its parts”, said Kalmond Ma, Deputy Director, Strategic Partnership, Greater China, The Climate Group.

“Individual effort plays a significant part in countering climate change. If we can live a low carbon lifestyle and be mindful about energy consumption, this will definitely reduce the negative impacts we impose on the climate, leading to a better life for all the people in Hong Kong”, said Dr Cheng Cho-Ming, Assistant Director (Forecast and Warning), Hong Kong Observatory.

Wider audience

“Climate change is an issue that must be tackled by the whole community. We are delighted to support The Climate Group in developing creative tools that will help introduce climate change to a much wider audience”, said Mike Kilburn, Senior Manager, Environment, Airport Authority Hong Kong.

“We tend to share more and more of our views and thoughts through online platforms. Against the backdrop of a new era of social media, Micro Carbon Operation will ride on these powerful networks to promote the essence of “micro carbon” living. Participants are encouraged to share their original thinking with others through a life-upon-life approach. Through a series of highly engaging and experiential events, we hope to hit the passion of Hong Kong people and nurture the low carbon living culture in the community”, Kalmond Ma added.

The campaign kickoff featured a select group of “Micro Carbonians”, including Au Gi-Fu, legendary simple living practitioner; Francis Ngai, co-founder of Green Monday; 'Green Mama' Betty Lam; and Benny Yuen, founder of Earth.er and fashion designer, who shared their “micro carbon” wisdom with the audience.

With Chinese New Year around the corner, The Climate Group also provided green festive tips at the event.

Wong Kam-sing, Secretary for the Environment, gave his remarks to Micro Carbon Operation on the campaign website: “The crisis of climate change is right before us. To address this, we need to pursue a low-carbon lifestyle. Small changes by all will make a great difference. Energy saving on a daily basis will benefit our future generations.”